Knife-blade switch



R. FREUND.

KNIFE BLADE SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED mu. I3, I920. nzuswcn MAR. 6. I922- 1,416,185, Patented May 16,1922.

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KNIFE-BLADE S'WITCH.

Application filed January 13, 1320, Serial No. 351,149. Renewed. March 6, 1922. Serial No. 541,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDoLr FREUND, a subject of the King of England,and a resi dent of Irvington, county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and, useful Improvement in the Construction of Knife-Blade Switches, of which the following is a specification.

In the usual construction ofthe well-known knife blade switch, the blades are connected to the insulating cross-bar by means of screws or bolts which pass through the crossbar with their heads exposed in such a manner as to subject the operator to shock should his hand accidentally come in contact with the screw or bolt heads. In order to overcome this objection, I have devised the improved blind connection hereinafter described for securing, not only the blades to the cross bar but the handle as well, so that no live metal is exposed upon the handle side of the bar. The same kind of connection is or may be utilized for securing the socket head to the end of the blade when such socket head is used.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown several forms of construction, but consider that they allembody the same basic principle, viz the insertion of a metallic tang-into a blind cavity and then upsetting the metal of the tang laterally within the cavity so as to firmly lock it therein.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a general plan, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a knife blade switch embodying my improvement.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation and Fig. 4 is an end view, partly in section of the cross-bar.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show several modifications of the blade .and bar connection.

Fig. 9 is a side view, partly in section, and

Fig. 10 is an end view of the cross-bar, showing the improved socket connection.

Similar reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The switch consists of the base 1, upon which the usual standards 2, 2 are mounted with the blades 3 hinged thereto in the usual manner, with the cross-bar 4 connecting the free ends of the blades; and finally, the handle 5 is connected to the middle of the cross-bar.

My invention has to do with the means em- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1922.

ployed to connect the blades 3 to the cross bar 4, and the handle 5 to said cross-bar. As shown in Figs. 8 and 4, the free end of the blade is provided with a pair of enlon gated tangs 6, 6, while the cross-bar is provided with corresponding blind cavities 7, 7 to receive said tangs. An aperture 8 eX- tends through the bar, intersecting said cavities and exposing a segment of each of the tangs. A punch is inserted into the aperture and given a sharp blow with a hammer, thereby upsetting the tang laterally as clearly seen in Fig. 4, so as tofirmly hold it in place; the other tang is treated in the same manner. In practice, I find it advisable to provide the cross-bar with a cross slot as 9, to receive the end of the blade, and thereby form a more rigid connection. The upsetting of the tang as described firmly draws the bar and blade together and securely unites them, whilethe blind connection thus afforded leaves no live metal. exposed upon the handle side of the cross-bar to menace the hand of the operator.

In Fig. 5, instead of a single aperture extending through the bar, I have shown two cavities 10, 10, extending into the end of the bar and intersecting the tang cavities; the upsetting of the tangs, by means of the punch is done through the cavities 10, 10. 1

In Figs. 6 and 7, a strengthening socket 11 is shown, with apertures 12, 12, through which the tangs pass. The use of the socket gives a broader and firmer bearing between the end of the blade and the cross-bar.

In Fig. 8, the ends ofthe tangs 13, 13 are shown as bent over and driven into the cross aperture.

In Figs. 9 and 10, I have shown the same method applied to socket 14 and the blade 3. The blade has a slot 16, into which the metal of the tangs 17, 17 upon the skirt of the socket is driven by means of a punch, thus firmly uniting the socket and blade, after which the tangs are inserted into the bar cavities and upset as above described.

The same method is employed to secure the handle to the cross-bar. In this case, the parts are respectively provided with the blind cavities 18 and 19, with the cross cavities 20 and 21 intersecting them. A metal rod 22 is fitted into the cavities 18 and 19, and then upset as above described through the cavities 20 and 21.

I find that the upsetting process as above described draws the parts into more intimate and firmer connection than is usually found in switches of the type illustrated, while the resulting structure is very rigid and strong; and it further accomplishes the desired result of leaving no live metal exposed upon the handle side of the cross-bar.-

here two-bladed switches are used, the connection for the blade and bar may be of any of the forms shown; but where there are more than two blades, it is obvious that the middle blade or blades may be more conveniently connected as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7 and 8.

s I claim 1. In a knife blade switch, the combination of a blade having a pair of longitudinally extending tangs at its free end, a crossbar provided with a pair of blind cavities upon the rear side thereof to receive said tangs and an aperture intersecting said cavities, said tangs being upset through said aperture and within said cavities to bind said blade to said cross-bar. i

2. In a knife blade switch, the combination of a blade having a tang upon its free end, and a cross-bar having a blind cavity therein to receive said tang, the latter being upset within said cavity, whereby said blade is firmly secured to said bar.

3. Means for securing the elements of a knife blade switch together, consisting in providing one of said elements with a metallic tang and another element with a blind cavity therein to receive said tang, and means upon said latter element for permitting said tang to be laterally upset within said cavity, whereby said elements are firmly bound together.

4. Means for securing the elements of a knife blade switch together, consisting of providingone of said elements with a longitudinally extending tang and another element with a blind cavity therein to receive said tang, said tang being upset within said cavity to rigidly bind said elements together.

5. In a knife blade switch, the combination of a blade having a pair of tangs upon the free end thereof, a socket having apertures through which said tangs are inserted, means for rigidly securing said socket to said blade, a cross-bar having blind cavities therein to receive said tangs and a recess to socket, and means upon said receive said cross-bar to permit said tangs to be upset within said cavities to bind said parts firmly together.

6. In a knife blade switch, the combination of a blade having an aperture in the free end thereof, and a socket fitted over said free end, said socket having tangs extending over and forcibly off-set into said aperture to firmly bind said socket to said blade.

7. The method of securing the elements of a knife blade switch together, consisting of providing one of said elements with a metallic tang and the other element with a blind cavity, inserting said tang into said cavity and thereafter upsetting said tang within said cavity to bind said elements together.

8. The method of securing the blades to the cross-bar of a knife blade switch, consisting of providing each of said blades with longitudinally extending tangs upon their free ends and said cross-bar with blind cavities to receive said tangs, and thereafter inserting and upsetting said tangs within said cavities, whereby to firmly bind said crossbar to said blades.

RUDOLF FREUN D. 

